June Nielsen had just finished fishing along the Cowlitz River with her boyfriend near Castle Rock, Washington, on Oct. 11 when the two headed back toward their car across the railroad tracks. As they crossed, they heard the horn of a southbound Amtrak train bearing down on them — and in the seconds that followed, Nielsen was clipped by the train while trying to pull her boyfriend out of its path, leaving her with six broken ribs, a collapsed lung and multiple fractures in her back and shoulder.
Nielsen said she was already off the track when she realized her boyfriend was still in the middle of it, so she reached for his hand and pulled and pushed him to safety, according to KIRO 7 News Seattle. The Amtrak train was traveling at least 70 mph at the time, according to the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office. The impact sent Nielsen to a Vancouver hospital, where she spent about a week and a half recovering.
Convinced in the moment that she might not survive, Nielsen called her children to tell them she loved them. Her daughter, Eva Nielsen, said she began crying immediately after getting that call. Looking back, June Nielsen called her survival a miracle and said she’s grateful simply to be alive and able to walk.
A Backpack That May Have Made the Difference
Eva Nielsen believes the backpack her mother was wearing may have helped shield her from more serious injuries, possibly even paralysis. The family has not placed blame on Amtrak for the collision, but Eva Nielsen said she wants to see more warning signs installed along the tracks to alert people to train traffic. She said she hopes it won’t take more deaths before changes are made…